Milky Way Kousa Dogwood Cornus Kousa 5 Gal

Cornus kousa, commonly called Kousa dogwood, is a small, deciduous flowering tree or multi-stemmed shrub that typically grows 15-30’ tall, with a vase-shaped habit in the early years but eventually maturing to a more rounded form. Bloom occurs in late spring. The showy parts of the Kousa dogwood “flower” (3-5” across) are the four narrowly pointed petal-like white bracts which surround the center cluster of insignificant, yellowish-green, true flowers. Flowers are followed by berry-like fruits (to 1” diameter) which mature to a pinkish red in summer and persist into fall. Fruits are technically edible, but are usually left for the birds. Oval, pointed leaves (to 4” long) are dark green. Mottled, exfoliating, tan and gray bark on mature trees is attractive in winter. Kousa dogwoods generally have better disease resistance than flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida). Excellent resistance to anthracnose. 

‘Milky Way’ is one of the most popular cultivars sold in commerce today. It is a broad, bushy tree that is particularly noted for its abundant flowers and showy fruit. It typically matures to 20’ tall and as wide. Flower bracts are creamy white and bloom in profusion in June. Red berries mature in summer. Berries are exceptionally large and are edible (inner custard-like consistency) off the plant. Birds also love the fruit. Fruits persist on the plants into fall past the point of foliage drop. Oval, pointed, dark green leaves (to 4” long) turn orange-red to scarlet in autumn. Mottled, exfoliating, tan and gray bark is attractive in winter. Cultivar name suggests that the profuse bloom of flowers each year is suggestive of the billions of stars in the Milky Way.